Title Details

Lenny Lind is president of CoVision, Inc. He is the co-developer of Council--a groupware system designed for facilitators.

Catherine Toldi, M.A. is a freelance collaboration specialist.

Sarah Fisk, PhD is a clinical psychologist, a seasoned facilitator, and a designer of participatory processes. She has been a featured speaker of the annual conferences of the National Organization Development Network and the International Association of Facilitators as well as an adjunct professor at California Institute of Integral Studies. Sarah's corporate clients have included Hewlett-Packard, Agilent, Visa International, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Inc. and many other Fortune 500 businesses. Her public sector clients have included the March of Dimes, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, EarthIsland Institute, City of Edmonton, Alberta, and numerous educational and government agencies and community based organizations. Sarah has been a senior consultant with Community At Work since 1996.

Duane Berger, M.A. is co-founder of the Resource Center for Consensus Decision-Making.

PART I: GROUNDING PRINCIPLES.

1. The Dynamics of Group Decision-Making.

2. Participatory Values.

3. Introduction to the Role of Facilitator.

PART II: FACILITATOR FUNDAMENTALS.

4. Facilitative Listening Skills.

5. ChartWriting Technique.

6. Facilitating Open Discussion.

7. Alternatives to Open Discussion.

8. Brainstorming.

9. Tools for Managing Long Lists.

10. Dealing with Difficult Dynamics.

11. Effective Agendas: Desired Outcomes.

12. Effective Agendas: Process Design.

PART III: BUILDING SUSTAINABLE AGREEMENTS.

13. Principles for Building Sustainable Agreements.

14. Gathering Diverse Points of View.

15. Building a Shared Framework of Understanding.

16. Developing Inclusive Solutions.

PART IV: REACHING CLOSURE.

17. Importance of Clear Decision Rules.

18. Striving for Unanimity.

19. Reaching Closure Step by Step.

20. Facilitating Sustainable Agreements.

Photocopying Policy.

Bibliography.

About the Authors.

"Hooray for the Facilitator's Guide. It explains principles, practices, and processes with cogent clarity, and each diagram conveys a complex idea almost instantly."
—Joanna Macy, author, World as Lover, World as Self

"Our organization's core purpose is to dissolve boundaries across sectors in order to find innovative solutions to difficult social problems. We know how immensely challenging it is to facilitate dialogue among multiple stakeholders. This amazing book is a comprehensive guide for meeting that challenge. I've worked with a myriad of consultants during the past 16 years, and Sam Kaner's approach is vastly superior for bringing about lasting system change."
—Kriss Deiglmeier, executive director, Center for Social Innovation, Stanford University

"Sam Kaner is one of the world's leading experts on collaboration. His grasp of the challenges and dilemmas of collaboration is superb, as are his models and methods for facilitating complex processes."
—Sandy Schuman, editor, Creating a Culture of Collaboration

"The Facilitator's Guide has allowed us to build our own capacity. We've learned how to convene multiple stakeholder teams, plan effectively, and make more sustainable decisions, thus maintaining our collaborative values as we grow to serve a wider community. I highly recommend this book."
—James Whipple, CEO, Marshall Medical Center, El Dorado County, California

"Kaner's decision-making procedures are the best I've ever seen. We use them all the time!"
—Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin Counties